Islamabad: In a significant move, the Federal Cabinet has approved a five-million-rupee support package for each family of missing persons. This initiative, designed to offer both legal and financial assistance, was announced during a press briefing by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar following a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the package follows recommendations from previous committees addressing the issue of missing persons. The cabinet reviewed the final report from these committees and also greenlit the formation of a special committee tasked with identifying families most in need of support. Minister Tarar noted that the funds provided to the families are non-recoverable, even if the missing person is later found and reunited with their family.

The briefing highlighted efforts to alleviate bureaucratic challenges for the affected families, including directions to NADRA to simplify access to bank accounts and inheritance processes. Additionally, the Law Minister mentioned that out of over two thousand cases, one thousand have been prioritized for immediate attention under a legal framework, emphasizing a fair and systematic approach to addressing these long-standing issues.

The Minister also defended the intelligence agencies, noting their positive cooperation in resolving these cases within a legal framework, contrary to common allegations of their involvement in the disappearances.

Furthermore, the cabinet approved several other measures, including a Memorandum of Understanding on trade promotion cooperation with China covering various sectors such as smart phone manufacturing, new energy vehicles, and pharmaceuticals. Legislative approvals were also granted for the establishment of King Hammad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences, as well as for the charter of the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad.